Equalizing device for vehicles.



No. 650,845. Patented lune 5, |900. W. E. LAWHRN.

EQUALI'ZING DEVICE FOB VEHICLES.

(Application led l-Iar. 21,. 1900.) (No Model.)

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Price@ VILLIAM ENSLEY LAlVHORN, OF CAUTHERSVILLE, MISSOURI.

EQUALIZING DEVICE .FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 650,845, dated J une 5, 1900.

Application filed March 21, 1900. Serial No. 9,568. (No model.) I

To all whom, t may concern:

Be itknown that I, WILLIAM ENSLEY L Aw- HORN, a citizenof the United States, residing at Caruthersville, in the county of Pemiscot and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Equalizing Device for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in equalizing devices for vehicles.

One object of the present invention is to improve the construction of equalizing devices for spring-supported bodies and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient dcvice designed to be applied to Wagon-bodies, car-bodies, and the bodies ot other vehicles or conveyances and capable of equalizing lthe weight and distributing the same equally to all of the springs supporting a body.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will be positive and. reliable in its operation and which will permit a body to move freely without binding.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of a wagon provided with equalizing devices constructed in accordance vwith this invention. Fig. 2 is' a transverse sectional view of the same.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in both figures ot the drawings.

1 1 designate a pair of transversely-disposed equalizing-levers fulcrumed at their lower ends on pivots 2 and diverging upwardly and disposed at an inclination, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings,when the body 3 of the vehicle to which the device is applied is not subjected to any weight. The lower ends of the equalizing-levers are arranged within a casing 4 and are provided with segmental heads 5, having teeth 6, meshing with each other and arranged concentric with the pivots 2, whereby the levers 1 are caused to oscillate simultaneously. The levers by being geared together in this manner are not only caused to oscillate simultaneously, but are effectually prevented from binding. The casing 4, whichmay be of any desired construction, is composed of two sides of approximately-rectangular shape, one of the sides being extended beyond the other and secured to the adjacent axle by suitable fastening devices.

The upper ends of the levers are connected with the body of the vehicle by upwardlydiverging links 7 pivoted or hinged at their lower ends to the outer ends of the levers and hinged at their upper endsS to the body 3. The lower ends of the links or rods 7 may "be pivoted to the transversely-disposed equalizing-levers in any suitable manner, but are preferably bifurcated at `9, `as clearlypshown in Fig. l, to receive the levers l. The upper ends S of the inclined links or rods 7 are per forated and have staples lO linked into the perforations, whereby the links or rods are secured to the body 3.

The equalizing devices are shown applied to a wagon in the accompanying drawings, and their casings are securedto the front and rear portions of the runninggear, the rear equalizing device being mounted on the rear axle 11 and the front equalizing device being secured to the sand-board or bolster 12; but it may be mounted on any portion of the running-gear which does not turn with the front axle. Ordinary leaf-springs are illustrated in the accompanying drawings for su pporting the-body 3; but the equalizing devices are equally applicable to railway-cars, coaches, and any other spring-supported vehicle-bodies, and the nuniber'of equalizing devices employed may be varied to suit the character of the vehicle, the weight to be sustained by the body, and the strength of the supporting-springs. They enable the weight to be distributed equally to the springs, and one side of the body cannot be depressed to any greaterextent than the other, even should aweight sufficient to entirely compress the springs be applied to one side. The levers form 'iiexible connections between the body and the axle-truck or other support, and they do not in any manner interfere with the resiliency of the springs and are equally appli cable to light road-vehicles and to heavy rail way-cars. The toothed segments or cogs at the inner ends of the equalizing-levers may be formed integral with them, as illustrated in IOO Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings, or they may be secured to or connected with the levers in any other suitable manner, and the device is also applicable to stationary springsupported bodies, as well as to those of vehicles and conveyances.

It will be seen that the equalizing device is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, that it possesses great strength and durability, and that it will permita free vertical play of the vehicle-body and will not bind when any portion of the body is subjected to a heavy weight.

Vhat is claimed is- `The combination with a spring-sul'iported 

